Adjustable screen window and door frame



J. GIGLIO Er AL ADJUSTABLE SCREEN WINDOW AND DOOR FRAME Filed 001;. 22, 1954 July 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Robe/ 2 E. Ha/eg di' Joseph G/' g//'O- 7 BY ATTQE/YEY;

July 30, 1957 G Llo ETAL ADJUSTABLE SCREEN wmnow AND DOOR FRAME Filed Oct. 22. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS E. Ha/eg a eph' Gig/i0 Robe/"2 dos BY United States PatentO ADJUSTABLE SCREEN WINDOW AND noon FRAME Joseph Giglio and Robert E. Haley, McComb, Miss.

Application October 22, 1954, Serial No. 463,906

1 Claim. ((31. 160-374) This invention relates to frames for screen windows, screen doors, and the like, and more particularly has reference to a frame adjustable to fit window or door openings of difierent sizes and shapes.

Ordinarily, the fitting of a window or door frame into a provided opening is a difficult task requiring considerable skill. Cuttingand fitting a window frame to the size of a particular opening is a technical task requiring, usually, a skilled carpenter or other expert worker.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable screen window and'a door frame which can be made in a single size, thus'reducing considerably the cost of manufacture, but which can be'readily adjusted either vertically, horizontally or both vertically and horizontally to accommodate the same to various sizes and shapes of window and door openings.

Another object of importance is to provide a frame as stated which can be swiftly adjusted to a selected position,

.after which it will be locked in said position by attachment of a screen element of a corresponding size, said screen element being secured to the adjusted frame by means of a molding strip which itself serves to preserve the adjustment found to be proper in fitting the frame into the particular opening.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the adjustable window frame, a portion of the screen being broken away;

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view showing one corner of the frame;

Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail transverse sectional view, the parts being shown in disassembled position, illustrating one of the rails in cross section and showing how the screen marginal portion is held in place; 7

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 after the parts shown in Figure 6 have been fully assembled in their final relationship;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the invention applied to a door; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of Figure 8.

The window frame shown in Figure 1 is composed of four movably connected, rigidly constituted frame units. These several frame units are each assembled separately from the others, and after each frame unit is completed, it is ready for assembly with the remaining three frame units to provide the adjustable frame.

The frame units include a first C-shaped frame unit generally designated 10, a second C-shaped frame unit generally designated 12 and having its legs slidably telescoped in the legs of unit 10, a first inverted L-shaped frame unit 14 sliding upwardly and downwardly in unit 10, and a second inverted L-shaped frame unit 16 sliding upwardly and downwardly in unit 12.

Eachof the units will be described in turn. Considering first the unit 10, this includes a verticalbight 18 of cylindrical construction having'a rectangular cross section and fixedly connected at its opposite ends to horizontally extending legs 20, 22. Unit 12 includes a vertical bight 24 fixedly connected at its opposite ends to legs 26, 28. The legs 28, 22 are connected to bights24, 18 respectively by angle brackets 30.

Unit 16 includes a horizontal leg 32 fixedly connected to a depending, vertical leg 34 that slidably telescopes in the open upper end of bight 24 of unit 12. In Figure 5 the fixed connection of legs 32, 34 to one another is illustrated. Longitudinal, transversely spaced tongues 36 are integrally formed upon leg 32, and straddle the upper end of leg 34, said upper end ofleg '34 being closed. Screws 38 are-extended through the ears 36 and leg 34 to fixedly connect the same together.

The unit 14 includes ahorizontal leg 40 of cylindrical, rectangular cross section, slidably receiving the leg. 32 and fixedly connected inthe' same manner as shownin Figure 5 to the upper end of-a vertically dependingleg 42 slidably telescoping in theupper end of leg 18. H

By reason of the arrangement illustrated, it is seenthat the adjustable window frame can be adjusted vertically to extend its length, or can be adjusted horizontally to extend its width.- The adjustments can be carried out in combination with one another'or separately, thus accommodating the frame to window'openingsof 'various sizes.

While the telescopic relationship of various parts; is clearly shown in the drawing, this is exaggerated for purposes of promoting understanding. In a commercial embodiment, the gauge of the metal, as compared to the cross sectional dimensions of the parts, would be so small as to render the telescopic relationship substantially invisible except to one inspecting the window very closely.

After the window has been adjusted to a selected size, it is adapted to receive a screen element 46 cut to a corresponding size. Element 46 is held in place by molding strips 48 extending along each of the top and bottom and side rails of the window frame, as well as from end to end of the center rail. Molding strip 48, initially, is of obtusely angular cross section, and is positioned over a longitudinal groove 44 formed in the associated rail. The screen element is interposed between the groove and molding strip, after which a self-tapping screw 50 having a binding head is threaded through the strip and through the bottom of the groove 44. As the screw is turned home, it draws the bottom of the groove outwardly to flatten the adjacent surface of the frame or rail and eliminate the groove. This is particularly adapted to tension the screen element and rigidify the entire construction, thus producing strong, professionally made screens which can be made by relatively unskilled persons but which compare favorably with any screen made by a manufacturer or carpenter.

It will be understood that each molding strip will extend the full length of the rail and since said rail is composed of telescopically related parts, the molding strip will not only hold the screen element in place but also will lock the rails in their selected, telescoped relationship.

For example, the elements 18, 42, telescopically related to one another, constitute one side rail of the frame while elements 34, 24 constitute the other side rail. Elements 40, 32 constitute the top rail and elements 26, 20 constitute the bottom rail, while elements 22, 28 constitute the center rail. Each of these several rails is adjustable as to length. A molding strip applied to the top rail would, it will be understood, be cut to a length equal to the length of said top rail, minus a small distance to provide clear spaces beyond the opposite side edges of the screen element 46. In other words, the molding strip applied to the top rail would be of a length equal to the width of the screen element. The ends of the molding strip could be mitered, if desired, to provide a proper joint with molding strips at opposite sides of the window frame. The molding strips, when applied, are secured in'place by a number of screws 50, spaced relatively short distances apart longitudinally of the molding strip, and this effectively locks the telescopically related parts of the rail in the selected, adjusted relationship. i

In Figures 8 and 9 there is shown a modified construction'adapted foruse in fashioning a screen door. In this form of the invention the C-shaped units 10a, 1211 are telescopically related in the same manner as previously a described, and the inverted L-shaped units 14a, 16a are telescopically related to one another and to the respective C-shaped units, all as previously described herein. In this form of the invention 'the'only difference resides in (the use of' a second center bar, spaced closely from and It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily 4 v t a limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: i Anadjustable frame for windows, doors, and the like comprising a pair of confronting, C-shaped units having horizontally extending legs telescopically related with one another and having vertical bights opening at their upper ends; a pair of inverted L-shaped frame units having vertical legs telescoping in the'bights, and having horizontal legs telescoped with one another; a screen element overlying the several units, the several legs and said bights being formed with longitudinal grooves; molding strips adapted to overlie 'said grooves and formed to an obtusely angular cross section; and screws extending through the molding strips and grooves for drawing the grooves outwardly while flattening the molding strips to lock the several legs in a selected adjusted, telescopic relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Du Bois Feb. 14, 1882 298,116 Phillips May 6, 1884 690,599 Messer Jan. 7, 1902. 1,639,072 Betz Aug. 16, 1927 1,964,557 Brezinski June 26, 1934 

